Red Lake Man Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Two Young Girls

U.S. Attorney’s Office
December 10, 2012

District of Minnesota(612) 664-5600

MINNEAPOLIS—Today in federal court, a 60-year-old Red Lake man was sentenced for sexually abusing two young girls. United States District Chief Judge Michael J. Davis sentenced Dean Earl Wilkens to 30 years in federal prison and supervised release for life on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Chief Judge Davis also ordered Wilkens to register as a sex offender. Wilkens, who was charged in a superseding indictment on May 21, 2012, was convicted on July 24, 2012, following a four-day jury trial.

The evidence presented at trial proved that that between December 12, 2008, and December 12, 2011, Wilkens engaged in sexual acts with two minor females while on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. On December 12, 2011, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was informed of one of the assaults after a victim disclosed the abuse to a school official.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, and the Red Lake Family & Children Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw. Because the Red Lake Indian Reservation is a federal jurisdiction reservation, some of the crimes that occur there are investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. Those cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.